Russia is preparing to expand its soft power footprint in the Middle East by developing cultural and diplomatic centers in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the pro-Kremlin day-to-day Izvestia reportedMonday.The initiative, led by state-funded cultural diplomacy company Rossotrudnichestvo, would see the opening of a so-called Russian House in Abu Dhabi by 2026 or 2027, contingent on the finalizing of an intergovernmental agreement.A Rossotrudnichestvo agent told Izvestia that preliminary foundation has actually begun in the UAE, with agency personnel anticipated to take a trip there quickly to coordinate logistics.Talks for a comparable outpost in Saudi Arabia are also underway, the representative informed Izvestia, without supplying a timeline.The Kremlins cultural diplomacy push comes as Russia seeks to reframe its worldwide image, especially in areas less lined up with Western sanctions policies following its 2022 major invasion of Ukraine.Russia intends to combine traditional diplomatic techniques with components of soft power, and broadening the network of Russian Houses in the region lines up with this technique, Leonid Tsukanov, an expert on Middle Eastern affairs, told Izvestia.Establishing branches of Rossotrudnichestvo is necessary for Moscow to firmly place itself within local affairs and make sure participation in ongoing modifications in the Middle East, he added.Rossotrudnichestvo operates lots of cultural centers worldwide.
While Moscow describes the centers as instruments of cultural exchange, critics argue they function as cars for political influence.The European Union sanctioned Rossotrudnichestvo after the intrusion of Ukraine in 2022, calling it the primary state firm predicting the Kremlins soft power and hybrid influences, consisting of the promo of the so-called Russkiy Mir concept.The UAE and Saudi Arabia have kept pragmatic relations with Russia, playing prominent roles in facilitating detainee exchanges between Moscow and Kyiv and refraining from signing up with Western-led sanctions.